1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable communication device, and more particularly, to a hinge apparatus for a portable communication device, which has a hinge connection part for connecting gear hinge parts to a rotary hinge module as a single united body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the ‘portable communication device’ refers to an electronic device by which a user can perform wireless communication with another party. Various types of service contents, such as mobile banking, TV viewing, on-line games, Video-On-Demand (VOD), etc., as well as voice call service and Short Message Service (SMS), are provided to the user over the portable communication device.
Popularized conventional portable communication devices can be classified into several types according to their appearance. For example, the portable communication devices can be classified into bar-type, flip-type, folder-type, and sliding-type communication devices.
The folder-type terminal has a body, a folder, and a hinge apparatus for pivotably coupling the folder to the body, so that the folder can be rotatably folded and unfolded.
Recently, a portable communication device with a rotary hinge apparatus has been developed. A pair of housings is foldably coupled using a hinge apparatus that provides a pair of hinge axes, so that when the housings are unfolded, the front and rear faces of any one housing can be reversed. Various examples of a portable communication device with a rotary hinge apparatus are described in Korean Patent Publication No. 2003-17321, filed on Mar. 3, 2003, which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present application.
The portable communication device having a rotary hinge apparatus provides hinge members to both a hinge module providing a first hinge axis and a hinge module providing a second hinge axis.
However, the conventional rotary hinge apparatus has a limitation on miniaturization and slimness due to the hinge modules arranged along their hinge axes, and securing space in the terminal for installation of a large-sized display is difficult.
In addition, the hinge members provided to their hinge modules should be assembled individually rather than as a single united body, causing an increase in the assembly time, and an increase in the number of parts, which may raise the production cost.
Further, the conventional rotary hinge apparatus is protrusively mounted between the body and the folder, marring the design of the terminal. To address these and other disadvantages, there is a need to secure a space where a large display can be mounted, and there is also need for a hinge apparatus by which the body and the folder can be disposed in a straight line.